The Mischief Saga
by Wiggle Puss
Summary: Everybody knew that Alexander Xanatos was a special kid. But will his fae powers be enough to save him from himself? Follow Alex as he cavorts across the dimensional rift, meeting and making new friends along the way. Wiggle Lizard- it's your turn.
1. Idle Minds Lead to Mischief

Gargoyles and every other non-original character mentioned herein are the sole property of Disney and whoever else developed and owns them.  I'm using them without express permission but that's ok cause this is just a suspended brain fart and I'm not seeking any financial or social credit from it…meaning it's just for fun.  All other characters (that is, the ones I develop) are mine and not yours.  If you want to use them, ask.  I'll probably be more than willing.

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Hello.  This is my first fanfic.  Reviews aren't necessary, but if you feel compelled to give one I would love to hear it.  This is a Crossover—something I've always wanted to do but never had the spare time or the extra brain juice to make it happen.  If you want to know what the other involved parties are you'll just have to read on cause I'm not giving any hints.  I'm thinking this is the first of one of those dreaded 'to be continued…' sort.  But enough tongue wagging on my part.  Read on beloved followers! 

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**Idle Minds Lead To Mischief**

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By Wiggle Puss the mighty

Six year old Alexander Xanatos sat on the rug in his room.  His toys scattered about him like autumn leaves.

_This isn't fun anymore_.  He thought to himself.  _Mamma and Dadda are gone.  Unca Owen's gone.  Lex is gone.  Just boring old __Hudson__.__  He's no fun._

Alex harrumphed to himself as he rose from the floor and made his way to the door.  

With Mr. and Mrs. Xanatos away at a business meeting and Owen upstate finalizing a shipment of XE's latest product, Alex had been left in the care of the clan for the evening.  It had been alright at first.  Lex, who was always fun, had offered to baby-sit during the business meeting, but once dinner was over and patrols were dished out the job had been left to Hudson, the resident couch potato.  Goliath had even taken Bronx with him on his sweep of Central Park so that possibility was out.

The door swung quietly open and Alex slowly sauntered out into the dark hallways of what used to be Castle Wyvern.  Most young children would be afraid of the stone corridors and the strange shadows cast on the walls late at night in a place like this.  But this was Alex's home, and with the gargoyles around what would he have to fear.  If anything really bad happened Unca Puck would come to the rescue anyway.  Besides, what was there in the world that the Prince of Avalon should fear?  A great many things perhaps.  But none of those things occurred to Alexander Xanatos as he silently padded through the great hall.

He was supposed to be in bed, should have been for the past two hours; but Hudson had probably got caught up in _I Love Lucy_ re-runs and forgotten to check in on him to make sure he was. 

Alex made his way up to the courtyard that spread half the width of the castle.  The stone cobbles were cool and rough beneath his feet.  A slight wind caressed his cheek and from somewhere deep in the city, a police siren wailed.  "The Just never rest," Elisa had once said, "especially in New York."  

It was the middle of March, but one never would have guessed it by the weather.  It was cool but not cold out as Alex crossed the courtyard and made his way toward the upper battlements.  Once, Goliath had caught him tottering perilously on the edge of Brooklyn's perch while he mimicked the beaked gargoyle breaking out of his stone sleep.  Goliath caught him just as he lost his balance and began to topple over into the city streets below to become what Elisa fondly called "Street Pizza".  Alex had thought the whole thing a great game.  He knew that at any moment he could have invoked his levitation spell and floated freely out of harm's way.  But Goliath would have none of it.  He'd had a few too many people falling off high precipices in his life-time to unnerve him whenever they got near one.  Elisa had suffered the brunt of it.  Ever since the Hunter's moon incident, Goliath would hardly let her out of his sight, let alone near a high ledge without him nearby to catch her if she fell.  And so Alex had received "the talk" from his parents about carelessness and had not been allowed to go near the battlements without an adult since.  But there were no adults here now, now were there?

Alex had perfected the Xanatos grin years ago.  But now it seemed even more devilish as he alighted the stairs and climbed.

The stairs brought him up to the main walkway leading from a corner turret to the central perch reserved for the leader of the clan.  He approached the ledge in front of him and gazed out over Manhattan.  Or, at least what he could see of it.  His less than moderate height allowed him to only see about half of the city and the sky line beyond.  What little he could see was shrouded by one of New York's famous industrial smogs that choked the city.  Sigh.  Not a night for gandering at the sights.    
  


He turned away from the city beneath him and looked up.  The night sky was clear, the stars shone brightly, and the moon was large.  How picturesque.  And to think, only he was privy to this beautiful sight.  Aside from a high gliding gargoyle or news chopper, Alexander Xanatos was the only being high enough above the smog of New York City to enjoy this perfect sky.  This sky…perfect…for casting.

Though Alexander Xanatos was the grandson of Queen Titania, it couldn't help but show that the Puck was his tutor.  As much of the trickster's mischief had rubbed off on Alex as it could, and in these dark, boring hours Alex remembered what fun mischief could be. 

He pondered.  What little enjoyment could he….procure, for himself?  Mamma and Dadda wouldn't like it too much if the castle got messed up.  Goliath would be furious if something happened to the clan.  Elisa would tan his hide if he did something to the rest of Manhattan, regardless of what Puck did to intercede.  So what did that leave?  Not much.  At least, not much in _this_ realm…hhhmmmmm….now here was an idea.  Unca Puck had mentioned it once: dimension jumping.  No Manhattan to mess up, no Goliath to upset, no castle to accidentally destroy…at least not _his_ castle.  No, it would be someone else's.  Of course!  That's it!

Alex giggled gleefully as he braced himself for what he hoped was the proper spell.  He remembered something Unca Puck once said about alternate dimensions briefly as he rose his hands to the sky.  Something about responsibility and that the possibilities for alternate worlds were endless, that finding a way back once gone could be tricky.  But what were repercussions later when you could have fun and spread chaos now?

The stars began to swirl in the night sky and the moon began to warp, folding in on itself.  Alex haltingly chanted the words he had learned and felt his power grow within him.  The radiant eldritch light that bubbled within him rose to his eyes and began to spill out, illuminating the battlements around him like a lantern.  It grew in intensity as the chant continued.  His halting words soon flowed confidently as he raised his head to the whirling sky.

This is it!  It's coming!

He took a deep breath and bellowed the last words as loud as his little form would allow.  Lightning emanated not from the sky but from his hands, his eyes, his mouth.  A vortex opened up in the swirling stars and a bright light appeared.  It plummeted down like a column, straight for him.  Alex felt himself being wrapped in it, cradled in it.  A brief feeling passed over him; like he'd been here before, only this time it wasn't suffocating, it wasn't painful, and his mother wasn't here to hold him while he took his first gasps.  Suddenly, there was a feeling of motion; like he was being carried along on the crest of a huge wave about to crash on the shore.  It rolled and bucked.  The light became cold and then…he was swimming.  Swimming?  Quick find the surface!  In his shock and confusion, all thoughts of magic fled his mind.  He kicked and stroked, trying to make up from down, fighting to reach the surface.  Thank the Dragon for those swimming lessons Mamma insisted he take.  

Where was it?  The surface!  It has to be there!  

Just as Alex thought he'd have to suck in the cold water, a pair of strong arms surrounded him from behind.  Immediately he was rising, faster than he ever thought possible.  And yet the air would not come soon enough.  Hurry!  Hurry!

Whooossh!

Gasp!  Alex sucked in a heaving, wheezing breath as he broke from the water.  He hacked and coughed as his lungs tasted the atmosphere again.  Oh boy, it felt good!

Barely conscious from the brush with death, Alex still had the presence of mind to realize that when he had broken the water's surface his ride hadn't stopped there.  No, instead of swimming toward shore, his rescuer was flying straight up into the air!  He quickly tried to gather his bearings and then realized that he had no point of reference to go from.  He didn't recognize this land at all.  No buildings, no castle; just a long shallow canyon with a lake (that he had had the unfortunate opportunity to get to know way too well) right in the center.  And most confusing of all: the sun was up!  Hadn't it just been the middle of the night?

Now, Alex was no average boy by any stretch of the imagination.  The quarter fae may have only been six years old but he was much smarter than he appeared.  However, intelligence had nothing to do with the emotion that crept up on him now.  His lip quavered some and then his whole mouth dropped an unbelievable 10 inches as he let out the most annoying wail he (or anyone else for that matter) had ever heard.  The wail continued on into a full blown sob until his rescuer finally dropped back down to earth and released him.

Once on the ground, the first thing Alex noticed was the shadow.  It looked human enough; arms, legs, torso.  But the thing that got him the most was the head, or at least he thought it was the head.  Instead of a normal round shadow that would be produced by a human head, Alex saw what appeared to be spikes; large spikes sticking straight out of where the head should be.  

But all this took a back-seat to what Alex noticed next.  He himself had changed.  His coloring was completely different.  Granted he had inherited his mother's light skin but now he pasty!  And his body was all rounded instead of the way it should be; like an over grown cupie-doll.  Even his clothes were different.  He still wore his X-Men pajamas but now they were vividly colored, almost gaudy.  His head felt different too.  It felt ridiculously large compared to his body.  And something was wrong with his face.  He pawed at it and almost gagged at what he felt.  His eyes took up half his face and it felt like his mouth had the potential to be the size of a pea one minute and the size of a watermelon the next.  Did he even have a nose?  Oh, yes there it was…barely. 

Timidly he turned around to face what he could only imagine the off-spring of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Edward Scissor-Hands would look like.  

He was pleasantly relieved, if not a little confused.  

Just how did he get all his hair, and there was a lot of it, to stand straight up on end like that?  It was almost as dark as Elisa's, but not quite.  His body reminded him of a human version of Goliath.  He wore a weird red outfit, like something one might see on a martial artist who's recently come out of the closet.

Alex forgot all his well bred manners and simply gawked.

The stranger finally leaned forward and extended his hand.  "Well hello there!  I wasn't expecting to fish a stray kid out of the water this morning but I'm just as glad that I did!  Boy!  You could have drowned!  You should pay more attention to where you energize yourself!  Speaking of which, how did you do that?  I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like that, and surprisingly I'm very good natured and cheery about the whole thing.  Hmph!  Go figure!  Well, I bet you'd like to get dried up and something to eat.  I love to eat.  Come on!  My wife can have your clothes dry in no time and while we wait we can have a good hearty meal and you can tell me how you got here!"

Alex nearly tripped over the stranger's words as they poured out of his mouth at unrelenting speeds.  And why did he yell everything?  

The stranger started walking away from the lake, seemingly unaffected by Alex's confusion.  He turned after about 20 feet and called back, "Hey, if you want to come you better catch up!  I'm already running late as it is and my wife is probably going to chew me out if I don't get back, ha, ha!"

His over exuberance was beginning to make Alex nauseous, but he really had no other choice.  He could feel his senses reestablishing themselves after their moment of panic, but he could tell that he had practically drained himself with the dimensional spell.  It would take him a while to "recharge" before he could attempt to return home.  Until then he'd need a place to stay…and play.  This stranger seemed nice enough, if a little weird.  He heaved a great sigh and ran to catch up.  

"What have I gotten myself into now?"  He mumble dejectedly.  "Oh, well.  I'm here, I might as well see what 'joyous mischief awaits', as Unca Puck would say."__

As he caught up, the stranger opened his mouth to what Alex feared might be another torrent.  But instead, he simply said, "So what's you're name kid?"

"Alex."

"Hmmm, never heard that one before.  How'd you get it?"

"For Alexander the Great."

"Who?"

"Nevermind…so what's your name?"

"Hmm?  Oh!  My name?  Well, I have a couple of names.  But I really only go by one!"

"And that is…?"  
  


"Goku!"

**The End**…For now  (*snicker*- beat that Chicken!)


	2. Idle Minds: Consequences

**Idle Minds: Consequences**

By Wiggle Puss

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"Wow! That was good!  Can I have another bowl?"

"Hey Chi Chi!  This kid almost puts me to shame!  Look at him pack it away!"

"I never thought I'd meet someone who could match Goku's appetite…"

"Well, it's not hard when the food's so good.  My mamma can't really cook and we almost never eat rice, Dadda's into all that gourmet stuff."

"I still can't believe you're from another world.  I thought I was the only one, except for my enemy Piccolo that is."

"Well, I am from another world, but I don't think I'm from a world in this universe."

"Huh?  What do you mean?  You're not from this universe?"

"Well, the spell I was trying to cast when I was brought here was of the interdemensional vortex-shear variety."

"In-turd-demon-senile vor-texture?  What's that?"

Alex sighed heavily, these people were obviously not quite up to par with his psychological abilities.  "What I mean is I was casting a spell that would allow me to jump from one reality to another.  If I cast it properly, that would mean I'm in another reality from my own.  I'm in a different dimension."

"Ah.  And that's what that bright flash was when you appeared."

"Yeah."

"Hmmm.  Well I guess that makes sense…wait, you can cast spells?"

"Well, yeah…sort of."

"What do you mean 'sort of'?"

"Well, I have a lot of magical potential, but I'm still only learning how to use it.  My teacher, Puck, was the one who taught me about interdemensional jumping, but he didn't really elaborate on it.  I guess now I know why."

"Why's that?"

Alex slumped down a little more in his seat.  His little frame hung with a sadness that did not suit his age, nor his new bodily proportions.  He looked at himself again, seeing the odd round curves and sharp angles where he previously had had none.  He wore a strange little suit that his new friends had given him to wear while his pajamas dried.  It was a vivid red, like Goku's, but it had yellow slits up the sides of the long shirt and stripes down the short leggings.  His feet were incased in moccasin like shoes that matched the red cap on his head.  Judging by his loss of leg length and the overall roundness of his body, Alex guessed that he had lost at least three to four inches off his height.  All this only added to the sorrow and guilt that creped up on him now.

"I…" sniff, "I don't think I know how to get back…And even if I did, I'm not sure I have enough energy left to do it again."  Once again, Alex felt that odd sensation come upon him again.  For some reason he had real difficulty controlling his emotions in this place.  He sniffed a few more times before his lip started quivering.  He looked up at Chi Chi and her heart went out to the boy.  "Oh, you poor dear!"

Alex's mouth dropped the incredible span of his round face and he let out another piercing wail.  "WAAAAAAA!"  Tears literally sprang from the corners of his eyes.  It was all Goku could do to keep dry as the boy cried his heart out into Chi Chi's shoulder.  

"What's all the racket?"

Alex stopped his lament long enough to sniff and look up.  There, standing in the doorway was a little boy not much smaller than himself.  He had dark hair like Goku and wore a very similar outfit to what Alex wore now.  The only noticeable difference was the presence of an odd star-speckled ball crowning the top of his cap.

Embarrassed, Alex wiped away what remained of his tears and tried his best to look respectable to this newcomer.  "Presentation before sentiment," his father had always said.  "Make them respect you before they trust you."  Alex had always respected his father, you couldn't just become the owner of a multi-national, multi-billion dollar company by giving in to the set standards of the world, you had to take charge and set the standard yourself.  David Xanatos had obviously achieved this in his son's eyes.

"Son, this is Alex.  Alex, this is my son Gohan."

Alex oozed out of the chair he was sitting in and regally extended his hand to Goku's son, "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Uhhh, okay."  Gohan numbly took the offered hand and threw a questioning look to his father, who merely shrugged at Alex's obvious emotional one-eighty.

"Alex was just telling us about the world he came from and how he got here, Gohan," Chi Chi broke in.

"The world he came from?"  Now Gohan was really confused, who was this kid?

Alex sat back down at the table and retold his story as emotionlessly as he could, while Chi Chi fussed around the two boys occasionally throwing sympathetic glances at Alex.  He was trying to be so brave.  She could just imagine her own son being thrown across the universe to a different world all by himself.  Afraid and alone.  She hiccupped and tried her best to hide her own distress at that thought.  As Alex finished retelling his tale, Chi Chi visibly stiffened with resolution.  "Goku, you're going to help this boy."

"What?"

"I can't even begin to think what his parents are going through right now.  He needs to find a way home and you're going to help him!"

"Why me!?  I mean, I don't know the first thing about casting magic spells!"

"You'll find a way!  I'm sure there's got to be some way to get him home!"

"Chi Chi!  It's not like I can just zap him with an energy blast and send him home."

"What about the dragon balls?  Couldn't you wish the dragon to send him home?"

"Well yeah, I guess but…but I only get one wish with the dragon balls and who knows how long it'll take to find them all!"

"Well, we have to do something!"

"Wait!  What do you mean, 'zap me with an energy blast'?"  Alex was beginning to get dizzy again trying to keep up with them.  How do they talk so fast?  And why was Chi Chi positively hysterical about sending him home?  His mamma had once told him about an old friend of hers who was bi-polar, some weird chick named Shenzi or Hyena or something…Chi Chi was beginning to remind him of that conversation now.

"An energy blast.  You know--."  Goku extended his hand and it briefly flared with a power that sent shivers down Alex's spine.  His eyes widened as comprehension settled on him.  "You know magic?!  You have power in you?!"

"Well, I wouldn't say I know magic, but I guess you could say I have a certain kind of power."

"Why didn't you say so!  I could use your power, your energy to cast the spell again!"

"How would you do that?"

"It can't be too hard.  Unca Puck taught me how to tap sources a long time ago.  I haven't done it in awhile but I think I remember how.  I could use your energy to fuel the casting!"

"Wait!"  Gohan perked up for the first time since sitting down.  "How do we even know this'll work?  You're from a different world; will you even be able to tape my dad's power?"

"Tap."

"Whatever."

"Unca Owen once said that energy is energy, whether created by magic or science, I don't see why that wouldn't apply here too."

"Well, I'm always up for an adventure, and if it can get you home I don't see why we shouldn't try."

"Are you sure?  I mean, I don't want to hurt you."

"Kid, you wouldn't believe what I've lived through.  I think someone out there really doesn't want me to die.  I bet if I did, I'd still just keep coming back to annoy everyone anyway.  Hah!"

Everyone sat and stared at Goku.  Finally, Gohan opened his mouth, "Where'd that come from?"

"I don't know.  It felt like some all powerful being just opened my mouth and forced me to say it."

Everyone in the room turned and looked at Wiggle Puss.

"What!  Don't look at me!  I'm just writing the story!  I can't help it if I know the future!"

Goku glowered and Chi Chi looked like Demona about ready to pounce.  Wiggle Puss slowly backed away from the table.  "Sheesh, I'm not welcome even in my own stories," She grumbled as she lifted two fingers on her right hand.  Now where had Alex seen this before?  She swooped her fingers in a semi-circle type fashion and blinked out of existence.  Now he remembered!  It was like one of those aliens on that Star Trek show his dadda liked so much.  Weird.

"That was strange, what was an omnipotent being doing in our kitchen?"

Goku shook his head and looked at his wife, "I don't know Chi Chi…_but_ _the truth is out there_."

Strange eerie music started to play throughout the room.  As it began to fade, Alex thought he heard the maniacal giggle of Wiggle Puss.  That girl was creepy.

_Four hours later…_

"Alex, did you enjoy your nap?"

"Yeah, I feel better now, thank you Mrs. Goku."

"Oh, honey, you can just call me Chi Chi."

"Ok."  Alex smiled.  He liked Chi Chi.  She was really nice, even if her emotions were a little unpredictable at times.  He loved his own mamma dearly but she was often busy with Dadda's work and her new fashion line.  Chi Chi was the typical stay at home mom who absolutely doted on her son and husband.  Even though he hadn't known them very long Alex still felt like they didn't always give her the attention or consideration she deserved.

"Well, your clothes are all dry now so you and Goku can attempt that spell whenever you feel ready."

"Thanks Chi Chi."  Alex grabbed his now dry pajamas and hurried into the bathroom to change.  He wanted to get home as soon as possible.  This place was nice to visit and all but, he missed his parents and Unca Owen and the clan.  He wasn't exactly eager to receive the punishment he knew was in store for him when he returned, but he knew that everyone's happiness at seeing him alive again would out weigh their anger at his recklessness.  He hoped.  

Alex could see all their faces now.  His mamma would be crying and holding him to her fiercely.  His dadda would be standing over both of them, his strong arms encircling Alex in his mamma's grasp.  Unca Owen would be standing nearby, off in a dark corner probably.  Stoic as always, but still happy to see him unharmed.  Lex would be there of course, eagerly awaiting his turn to hug his favorite little human.  Elisa might be there too.  She had probably been the first person his parents contacted after his disappearance.  She and Matt were probably scouring the streets for him right now with a whole army of private investigators, agents, and bounty hunters hired to find him first for ransom or some other incentive. 

With these happy thoughts in his mind he went over the spell he would need to cast.  It would be the same one he cast on the castle battlements that brought him here.  It was the only interdemensional spell he knew…and it was a vague spell at that.  It didn't specify anything really; it only opened up a tear in space that allowed him to step through to another world.  It didn't specify which world.  He wished now that Unca Puck had taught him more about dimension jumping.  He could only hope that the spell was like the 'channel return' button on his TV remote back home; sending you to one world at a time and returning you home between each trip, instead of continually sending you on blind jumps.

"Well, there's only one way to find out."  He said to himself.

The door to the bathroom slowly opened and Alex plodded out to the main door leading outside.  He stood there for a moment, gathering his resolve and his courage.  Placing a hand on the door, he confidently strode out to meet Goku and Gohan in the fields not far from the house.

"There you are Alex!  We were beginning to wonder if you'd changed your mind!  Are you ready?"

Once again, Goku's exuberance invaded what Alex thought of as his own personal reality bubble.  "Yeah, ready as I'll ever be."

"Then let's get started.  I have a meeting with an old friend later today; I don't want to be late."

Alex stepped toward Goku and reached out to touch his abdomen, the closest he could get to his chest given his stunted height.  Alex began to clear his mind and gather what personal energy he had left.  Just as he was about to open his mouth, Gohan interrupted.  "Wait!"

"Ack!"  Alex jumped back from Goku startled.  "Why'd you do that!?"

"I almost forgot, I was supposed to give this to you before you left."  Gohan picked up a long object wrapped in a lavender cloth.  Methodically, like there was some ritual involved, he un-wrapped it and held it out to Alex.

"It's a stick."

"It's not just any stick!"  Gohan said vehemently.  "It's the power pole!"

"Oh yeah!  I almost forgot about that myself!"  Goku sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.  "Chi Chi said I should give it to you.  I don't really use it anymore and she didn't want to just send you on your way without knowing what you might have to face after this jump."

"You're really just going to give this to me?  It sounds like a special family heirloom or something."

"Well, it kinda is, but it's not going to get much use just sitting around when it could be doing you some good."

"Gee, thanks.  But, what am I supposed to do with it?"

"You hit people with it silly!"  Gohan crossed his arms, obviously a little miffed that this stranger kid got the power pole instead of him.

"You don't just hit people with it Gohan.  You can also use it for many other purposes too.  Watch.  Power Pole Extend!"  Instantly the pole in Goku's hand grew to an enormous length.

"Wow!"  Though Unca Puck had done far more outrageous tricks, Alex was still very much impressed with the power pole.

"You can use it to reach high places, knock down obstacles from far away, _and_ hit enemies."

"Neat."

Goku ordered the power pole to return to its original size and then handed it over to Alex.  Once in his hands, the power pole did another interesting thing; it shrank to accommodate Alex's size and handling capabilities.  He felt the new weight of the pole and tested it out.  Or at least he tried.  His mamma had been adamant about him learning to fight effectively.  She was famous for her martial artist capabilities and acrobatic stunts on the hit TV show "The Pack", and she wouldn't accept anything but the same from her own son.  However, her training had yet to include the use of poles or other dangerous implements; he was, after all, only six.  Alex quickly pulled a spell out of his back pocket that Unca Puck had taught him not long ago.  It was a knowledge spell.  When cast on a certain object, the caster was instantly privy to the uses and/or knowledge of the object.  Fortunately it was a low energy level spell so Alex was able to pull it off fairly easily.  Having finished, he then tested it out again; with much more impressive results.

Goku and Gohan just stared, their mouths agape.  Gohan recovered slightly sooner than his father.  "Wow, I wish I could do that.  Just talk to a weapon and then know how to use it."

Alex was also impressed.  He'd cast the spell before of course, but he'd never cast it on anything that required physical prowess.  He imagined this was how King Arthur felt when he pulled Excalibur from the stone.  It felt as if he'd always known how to use the power pole, like it had always been with him.

"Thank you Goku, Gohan.  I couldn't have asked for a more perfect gift."  Alex leapt forward and grabbed Goku's thigh in a tight hug.  He then turned and ensnared Gohan around the neck.  After a few more "Thank You's" and "You're Welcome's", Alex disengaged himself from his new friends and slung the power pole across his back.  

"Well, I guess there's nothing left to do but say goodbye!"

"Goodbye Goku.  Goodbye Gohan.  Say thank you to Chi Chi for me."

"Don't worry, we will.  Take care and good luck Alex!"

"Thanks."  Once again, Alex approached Goku and placed his hand on his abdomen.  Then, chanting the tapping spell Alex closed his eyes and cleared his mind to make ready for the jump.  Yellow fire-like power erupted from Goku and passed along Alex's outstretched hand.  Goku felt his strength and energy leaving him as it flowed into Alex.  He could feel himself becoming weak, but not so weak that he became feeble.  It was more like, becoming normal…if that was what he could call it.  Goku sank to his knees as Alex withdrew his hand.  Gohan worriedly put his hand on his father's shoulder.  Goku looked up at his son and spread a reassuring smile across his face.  They both turned then to regard Alex.  He stood there, roughly four feet away with his eyes closed, facing them.  The energy surrounding him wasn't exactly visible, but they could see it, feel it, knew it was there.  The air around Alex rippled with the force of the power he had sapped.  Suddenly, Alex's eye's flared open.  Had Fox been there, images of her own mother would have been floating across her mind as she gazed at her son, his eyes ablaze with raw energy.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine kid, nothing a good night's sleep and a bowl of rice won't cure."

"Good."

Alex raised his hands to the sky, an unusual cyan color, unusual, like everything else in this world.  Gathering his forces, Alex once again bellowed as loud as his voice would allow.  The words poured out of his mouth with a resonance that would gain even Oberon's notice.  The clouds warped and dipped.  The vortex appeared and plummeted downward.  Goku and Gohan made to move out of its path as quickly as possible.  The sky met the earth as Alex was once again wrapped in the fabric of space.  It swirled around him and enveloped him like silk and cream.  He felt the wave rise up under him and carry him on the brink of its plunge.   He was falling.  Falling…into nothing.  Then suddenly the ground was there.  Dry and hard and dusty, the ground came up to meet him hard as he smacked shoulder first into the compact dirt.  Dazed, Alex looked around.

Desert.  Far as the eye could see: desert.  Oh no!  Now where am I?  The earth began to tremble.  This can't be good.  Alex stood as quickly as the increasing quake would allow.  His heart rising in his throat, he scanned the horizon again.  There, straight ahead!  What was it?  Some kind of beast?  The shape was growing larger as it advanced on his position.  It must be huge, whatever it is to make the earth shake at such a distance!  Wait a minute…what was that.  Alex turned as he heard a strange metallic clanking increasing in volume behind him.  There, not two-hundred yards away was a huge mechanical cat coming right at him.  It must have been at least one-hundred feet tall!  And it was about to smush him like a bug.  Alex began to run.  Huffing and puffing he sprinted in the little footies attached to his pajama pants.  Oh!  It wasn't going to be enough!  The huge cat was almost on top of him!  Then an idea hit him.  He grabbed the power pole resting on his back and commanded it to extend.  Using a dexterity that belied his age and physical abilities, Alex dug the end of the long pole in to the ground ahead of him and vaulted into the air.  At the last minute, he remembered that he was quarter fae; he smacked himself mentally and then promptly added a levitation spell to aid his ascent.  It didn't do much, he was still winded from the dimensional jump, but every little bit helped.  At the pinnacle of his vault, a grim realization hit Alex.  

"This is really going to hurt," he clenched his teeth and waited for the inevitable.  "Guhhh!"  Alex grimaced as he slammed into the ground nearly twenty yards from where he took off.  The mechanical cat missed him by five feet. 

"Well, I guess it was worth it." Alex thought as darkness began to overtake him. 

From somewhere across the expanse of sand and dust, a mechanical voice called out, "INTERFERENCE!  TIME OUT!"

The earth stopped shaking and the sounds of machines powering down could be heard.  Alex heard footsteps approaching him as he lay on the ground.  As unconsciousness seeped in at the edges of his vision a tall, blonde man came into view.  He had green eyes, just like Mamma.  "Hey kid, you sure know how to put yourself right in the middle of trouble."  

Alex just groaned as the world swam.

"Don't worry; I'll make sure you're taken care of."

The last thing Alex heard before he completely succumbed to darkness was another stranger's voice, "Do you think he'll be alright Bit?"

"I hope so Leena, I really hope so."

-           -           -           -           -           -           

The end.

HHmmmmm…..the plot thickens! 


End file.
